Calculating-machine.



.PATENTED NOV. 5, 1907.

)A I5 10A n `\rn. R E '.0 n U, T Y A f B E m W d l, mw v/ I1 Mn ,J mM..B D www W 4.In

M wm An CA,

No. 870,009. l PATENTBD Nov. 5, 1907.

W. M. BOEHM. GALGULATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APB.6. 1907.

4 SHEETS-SHEET@ JQ J4 WHW/55555.-

[fvwm/TOR.

v BJ' l u l A TTORNE YS PATENTED NOV. 5, 1907.

w. M, BoEHM. cAL'cULATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APB. 6, 1907.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Y' fig@ GALGULATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APLS. 1907.

4 slums-#anim 4.

l fication, in which,

' specification.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

WLTER M. BOEHM, OF IOWA CITY, IOWA.

CALCULATIN-G-MACHIN E. i

To all whom Lt may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTERM. BOEHM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Iowa City, in the county of Johnson and Stat-c oi Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Calculating-Machine, of which the following isa This invention has reference to ir'nprovernents in calculatingmachines, and its object is to produce. a machine of few parts and ofsimplicity of operation but which will be eflicent and certain inaction.

The invention consists essentially of a suitable casing containing anumber of movable members` each 'having a range of vmovement sufficientto c omprise a series of numbers, say, from one to ten, -and meansactuated by these members'fornioving number, drums to a correspondingextent to exhibit the numbers to view, with certain mechanisms wherebythese opera. rions' are performed without complexity-of structure orgearing or other expensive parts which add tov thecost ci machines ofthis character. v

The invention also comprises' a simple where-l by the entire set ofindex drums "maybe moved 4to the zero position whenever the operator sodesires.

'The invention will be fully understood Ir0m-the fol# lowing detaileddescription taken in connection with'V the accompanying drawings formingparto'this speci- Figurel is a perspective'view of theeirterior of theimproved calculating machine; Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectiontherethrough; Fig. 3 is a section` on the line x-z of 1g52, lookingtoward the rear; Fig. 4 is a top .plan view' of the interior mechanism,with parts of the casing removed and other parts broken away and' shownin section; Fig. 5 is a detailview of one of the index drum actuatingmechanisms immediately adjacent to said drum; and Fig. 6 is an elevationof a num.- ber of adjacent structures such as shown in Fig.-5.

Referring to thc drawings, there is shown a suitable casing 1, the lowerportion 2 of whichI is offset to'wardA the front and from there has ageneral rearward slantV `toward the top 3, which latteris compaiativelynarrow.

The front of the casing. immediately abovev'the pro-4 jecting portion 2is segmental in shape 'and is 'there open to the interior-oi the -thsopening containing a number of curved divlsion strips 4 fast upon a vcross-piece 5 at the upper end of the segmental portion of the casingand upon'A inwardly-projecting division l blocks secured t9 the insidefaceof the upright front Specification of Letters Patent. .ApplicationlediApril 6. 1907 Serial No. 366.776.

Patented Nov. 5,1907.

drawings are eight in number, areipivoted at their smaller ends upon aixed'rod 8 extending across 'the strips 4 and project slightly beyondthe same .where they are formed with -finger-pieces v9, Ywhich indrawings are shown as triangular in shape ywith their flat facesuppermost and the inclined face of onek meeting the, flat face-oftlienext lowernger-piece.. lt'will be understood, of course, that anyother type` oi fingerpiece may be used, whether the same be a simplestraight piece of metaL-Or be cup-shaped to conform to the shape of thefinger-tip, or otherwise shaped, as may be desired,

so longas it is adapted to receive the finger of an opera-` tor in'orderthat he'may move the lever around its pivot 8 when the nger isgplaced onthe upper side of one of the finger-pieces!)V pressure isappl'ied tode-- press the lever. These finger-pieces 9 ar'eappropri- .tely numberedso that the" operator may place his 'f finger upon the'desiredfinger-piece. `,For instance,

thereare nine finger pieces'l shownand they are n'umbered from one tonine, counting from the lowermostto the uppermost, the numbers,'however,being shown on the inclined faces, but may be placed directly on thefinger-pieces. Thearrangement is such that when the operator places hisfinger upon, say, the first fingerpiece and depresses the-lever untilthe finger strikes the offset portion 2of thev casing,- thelever-willjbe .moved a distance sufcient to operate, in a manner 'thatwill hereinafter appear, a suitable index-a ldistance sufficientto'expo'se the number 1, assuming that the index'had beenset at z`ero.If thel operator shall put vhis finger upon another'fingenpiece 9, say,that corresponding'to the nuinber 5, and shall depre the lever unt-i1his finger hits'the projecting portion 2of the casing, the indexwill-,be moved to lfive if it were sct at zero, or to six if it hadalready been operated to indicate one, andsoon. "A l *l I f It willbe'underlstood that the distance from the pivot .point 8 of the levers 7to the.outer edge of the fingerpieces 9 is such that thesefinger-pieces'willpass into the casing behind the` rear edge of thefront 2,30 that wherever a finger may be lplacedupon a. fngerlpiece'"all those below theA finger-piece engaged willpass into the'casing outof the way, and the lever will'always be stopped by the engagement; ofthe finger with lthexupperedge of the front 2. Each lever 7isconstrained to .A I

assumo th'e .position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with its upperfedgeabutting against the lower. edge of the crossf piece 5 byspiral spring10 provided at its upperend l V witha yoke 11 passing aroundthe lever infront lof the -pivo`t and engaging a'notch 12 on its lower edge,l the.upper end 'of the-'spring being fast to the portion of the casing nearits .upper end by` an ey,el .'3 or other suitable fastening device Vfever depreseed sition shown in the drawings'.

. 14 provided with"a'1ateral series of openings'l beneath -which isanangeda lateral series of index drums 16 all mounted to turn freelyupon aj shpftior bar 17 fast inthe sides of the casing. 'These indexdrums are best shown in Figs. 5 and 6, being there shown upon a largerscale than in the other views. Each drum is provided with hub 18projecting to a greater extent upon one side'f the drum than on theomen-and this hiibiums freely upon the shaft or bar 17 Fast on the hubon the elongated side` thereof is. a ratchet wheel 19 turning with thedrum, and near the periphery of the drum on the side thereof oppositethe ratchet -wheel is alaterally projecting pin 20.' vThere are as manydrun'nsss there'are levers 7 and these drums. are placed upon the :odorshaft 17 with their hubs in abutment and are maintained imtljjs positionbyend-collars 54', fast upon the rod or sha`ft"`l7, which preventlateral displacement of the drums but' do not interfere with their free-rotary movement upon the shaft 17. Each of these drums isY providedupon its periphery with suitably spaced numbers from z'ero to nine,v andthe ratchet] wheels 19 havea corresponding number'. of teeth.

Each ratchet wheel is normally h`e'ld from rotation in one direction bya dog or pawl 21 mounted for free.

movement upon a fixed cross-rod 22 supported at its -ends in the sidesof the casing. One side of each pawl 21 adjacent to its pivot support isprovided with a deep groove or not-ch`23, and the pawl is constrained tore- .main in engagement with the ratchet teeth bya sultable spring24,-one end of which is in fixed relation to another cross-rod or bar 25extending acrossr the mi chine and finding support in the sides of thecasing. Instead of the particular form of spring 24 shown in thedrawings, it will be understood that an ordinary helical spring may beused for keeping these pawls normally- A in engagement with the' ratchetteeth. In the notch 23 of each pawl there jis secnredthe upper end `of arod 26 which, as best shown in Fig. 2, extends downwardly andrearwardly`and is there secured to a cross-bar 27 located tothe rear ofthe pivotal support 8 of the levers 7, and the ends of the bar 27adjacent tothe sides of the casing are bent parallel thereto toconstitute arms 28, the free ends of which are pivoted at 29 to thesides of the casing, so that this bar may be moved on its pivots to drawall the pawls 2l out of engagement with all the.

ratchets 19. When the liar 27 is moved as will hereinafter appear,downwardly, all the pawls 2l are moved out of engagement with ther'atchets and "at the same time their springs 24 are put under tensionand vwhen the bar 27 is released f rornJhe mechanism which causes it tomove downward the springs 24 cause it to return to thepupperpositioii,thus releasing the pawls 21 andallowing them to move into engagementagain with the ratchet wheels 19. The purpose of'tliis operation willhereinafter appear. Near the rear of the casing thereis anothercross-bar upon which are mounted a number of'beli-crank levers 31, theshorter armi;

V32 cf which are connected`by helical springs 33 to the cut away atthispoint to accc cross-bars 22 before referred to. rl`he normal tendency ofthe springs 33 is to maintain the longer arms of the levers 3lin uprightpositionabout parallel with the rear wall of the casing, and from theupper ond ci each of these levers there extends a chain 3d over theratchet wheel and from thence over a fixed cross-rod 35 fast in the sidewalls of the casing, and the end of' the chain is coupled by means of alink 36 to 4a U-shaped strap 37 straddling'the lever 7 and pivotallyconnected thereto Aby a pivot pin 38. The leve" V7 mov he'notched ornodi.; e the strap 37, or the llatter may be made sufhciently long toavoidy the cutting away of the lever 7, ns desired. I

It willnow be seen that when a lever 7 is depressed the chain 34will bemoved with the lever pulling the bell-crank lever 31 with. it against-the action of the 'spring 33. The links of the chain 34 will engagethe,

teeth of theratchet wheel 19 and the latter, together with the drum 16,will lbe caused to rotate in the direc.-

tion permitted-'bythe pawl 2l. The'index drum 1 6 "is therefore: bymeans of the c/hain and connections to the lcver 7, rotated distancecorrespondingto the movement of the' lever 7, the ports bcingpropcrlypropertioned for this operation. When, however, the lever.

is returned to its normal position the spring 33, acting through thebell-crank lever 31, will returnthe chain to its first position, but asthe ratchet wheel 19 is held against reverse rotation by the pawl21,-the chain will simply ride over the teeth in returning to itsinitial position.- Besides serving to return the chain to its inivor onecomplete rotation of the preceding index drum, 1 have provided-n specialmechanism which I will now proceed to describe. Pivotally supported uponlthe cross-rod 25 are a number-of plates 39. each having one portionextending below said rod 25 and n there connected by a helil spring 4i)tolanothe'r fixel rod 41 extending acm the casing and finding support inthe side walls thereof. Above the pivotal support 25 each plate 39isforked to. form two fingers 42-43, the finger 42 being normally in thepath ofthe pin 20 upon Aa drum land the finger 43 being bent toward thenext adjacent drum and there carrying a'pawl 44 having a tooth 45arranged to engage the ratchet wheel 19 of the' mid den adjacent anim.rhispawl' 44 is heid in normal engagement with the respective ratchetwirel-l by a helical spring 46 connected at one end tothe pawl and at'the other end to the cross-bar 25. The pawl 44 on theside-'of its pivotopposite the spring 46 and next to the tooth 45is connected'by a rod 47to the bar 27 be'- fore described, so that all of the pmvls 44 as wellas all of the pawls 21 are disconnected fro'm their respective ratchetwheels 19 by the movement of the bar 27.wl1en the latter is depressed. il

When an index drum has been rotated untilits pin comes in contact withthe finger 42 of the plate 39 adjacent thereto, th`e next impulse givento the drum will cause it to move the plate 39 about its pivot, and,therefore, through the pawl 44 cause the next succeeding ratchet 19anddrum 16 to be moved adistance equal to the space ofone"tooth,-.solthat vwhile the irst'-dnim may in itsmoveni'ent b evdtsignatingnn'i'ts it will,- after having made" onecoxplete'rotationj.,have`rnoved the nrtdriim distnnceeqnal to one unit',b ut which movenient willdesignate "a movement equalto tennnits :ent ofthe preceding" drlini a distance equalhtojten of he iinitsindicntedvby-the latter.

' i It will now be seen that Vin order Vto register any. ninnlbernponthe' machine, thenuniber o f-units-will' be indicated fby the movementofn right-hand lever a distnce correspondin'to thoseulinits, tens'wiUbeindicated thesecond' lever; hundreds hy the' third lever, and sci on,Whd it is desirableto thesnin iii-several, nnmbers, it is yonlyntc'essry'to reiggisteronr the'nppropriate'levcis the figuresrepresentative ot the, -units7 tens, hundreds',- etc., found insaid:numbers,` thronghtheshits'l the snm of these nnmbersbeen ascertained,'.it then becomes -necessary the-machine to lthe zero position.- Forthis. purlvios-e there 'is mounted upon the pivot rod 8 ndjac'entft theside walls of the casing two arms`48' entendingnpward to a pointnearithc upperfztccs o f the levers' Tand'jtist 'behind the'stripsli,wherethese are joined by`a cross-pieceAQ.. integrall therewith or whichmaybe sensed thereto. secures-serbe niddtiif'niecmofthe mahineth'roughone'offthe s lotsi'formed-between side barsS extend below thepivotpoints 'and are in thdpnth ofthe `firms 2$ beforey referred to sc ns toiconstitntegstopslimiting the upwardj'movgrn'nt' there- .ioi: lower endsof the bars 4 8 are also formed withkamiprojections 52-1 which,.whenfthe bars 'are moved about their pivots bythe proper .manipulationof the handle50, will'engag'e the'arms 28and ca us e thej 'depression ofthe bar 27. tooperatethe pawls 2ll and 44 ns lbefore described. When thehandle .is drawn downwardth 'cross-piece 49 will engage nil the levers'Z and move them'simuit'aneonslyln The=purposeiof the framelvcon'ipoi-:ied of theside bars 48andctosspiece 49 beingto reset themiichine, the handle 50 shonld be so nianipulated to. move the' levers 7downward to the 'fullextent of their movement. -fl`his will cause allthe ind; drums to be rotated and at the sometime willrelesse the pawls2.1 and 44 from engsgehient with :the ratchet wheel 19. When the handle50 is released the severalsprings will return the parts tp theirnoi'mnlmiidigion.l This' wint-auge, first, die reverie ismiioiij of the severalratchet wheels 19 by the chains traveling over them, since they havebeen disengaged by the,

l-and whateveifurther distance me chainsmay have to pawls holdingthem'and are therefore tree to be rotated ,backward by the chains. Thisbackward movement,

however, is stopped assoon as thepins 20 on the drums have come incontact with the tingers 42. in their paths I -move they will simplyride over tho teeth of the ratchet wheels without moving them...'1`h'elratchet wheels y' engagement witltthe rat-chetwheels of the'pawl's Zlend44, the. movement oftheipart'sbeing so as to .provide for suchoperation.' Theindexidruins 4'will' now all registerfzerol andthemachine is thereforeii'n 'condition to be againused in the manne`r.heret0fore described. j L

The`curv'ed strips serve asg'uides/ for the front ends of the levers 7and, therefore, in order topi'event undue.

,wear these -lvers at this .point be .provided with" I cheek'plates 53which'will formiwear surtaces'fofcon tact with the edges-'ot the strips.4, especially.Where the levers'7 are nl adeof Woodor other softmaterial.

- It be ohs-ervedV that the plate 39 s itu'ted'at the extreme letti thatis, beyond the last .index d rum; does not carry any pawl`44 blitlmsafinger 42 mQiii-wiiiiph'qpin 2 0 Oij'iiiisiiis'i index druii, so ism provit'le forfrese'tting it heetoioredesc'ribedf- Iclainn-r. A I l Iranged for. indicatini.Y successively. highen, denominations, aser-leso;operating-levers, one .toreachdnomihaitin ernliraced in the series oflndeir di-urns and 'erich' having 'annie x tent ofrnovement'snfcienito;comprlseijthejdigit'sfof the denomination' it "represents,v means fornormally 'holding enchdrnm against reverse4 movement, nd ilexibleconneczum fast' 1 0 and miiysiiie in bom'diret'ion ,with the operstinglevers, 'sid'-tonnc'ctlons rotntingthe, drums when moved in one.di`r`ectlon und n ormsily passing idlyby said .vd'rumswhen moved' in'weather-direction.- Q. 'nscslcuiatlngmachinef a series of index drums,.@aen independently. rotatable, #s mener 'wherseured tonnd'lrn'ovahlewvlth each drum, c oper-stingv levers,:fone for es chdrnmand' mnvziblel f ol: 'a distance commensiirate with' i l.-` In scalculniinginnchineja series of index drums arthennmber,ofdlgitscarrledby .eachldrumws chalnconnecw .'tion between veach'rlever'iindfthetootliedfperipherv of the nwith -said lever, und means fornormally preventingthe Te-'j' Verse movementot the 'ratchet wheelwhen-the lever Vis ivel .turned to its normal position. I i` f nec-ted.to its respective dri'im' tor rotation' therewltmfper-J. ia'tlngleversfor -cansing the rotatlonot the drnins in one direction',chain'coxinectlons,esch secured v:n t' one'end 'to one ot the levens and'pnssing` overland in engagement with' the teeth 0ithe respective1atchet wheel, springs coni 4. In n calculating machine; operatinglevers, chlirlnsA connected' nt onecndvto tha'levrs, means ittheotherends Aoi the chainsior maintaining them in u taut condition-un-;der'mvement, rotatable indes dru'msratchet wheels, one for each dr-nmand each connected to itsrespective dru'm 4forrotatlon therewith; iisid.ratchet wheels being engaged by thezchains at polntslnftermediste ofthe lengthot the charmsl and' menus tor normally holding theratchet'wheels against ravens-'rotation -wllen the Iev'ers.and"chalnsnre retin-ned to their-normal posltlons.

5. In s calcnlntlngimachine, operating levers, rotatable index drums,ratchet wheels, one for escli'drum and each connected toits respectivedrum. for rotation therewith,`

means for normlly holding the drums against movement except in onedlrection,'and chain connections fast to the levers and engagingthe'teeth o! the ratchet wheels whenv the chainsare loved in 'onedirection to rotste said ratchet wheels and passing idly over the saidteeth ot the fratchet wheels when the cha-ins :ire moved in the-otherdirection und the ratchet wheels are locked against re-l verse rotation.

6. In :1 cnlcnlting machine, 'a series of index drums, a

ratchet wheel fast on each drum, operating levers, one for earch drum,flexible connections secured to the levens and 'passing over the ratchetwheels for positively engaging the teeth ot the same oniy'when thelevers are moved in one direction. paivis normally in engagement vwiththe ratchet teeth for preventing the reverse movement ot the drains. andmeans for communicatimh.,r motion from one drum to the next adjacentdrum comprisingY a pin on one drum, a spring-controlled pivoted supporthaving.' a finger in the path of said pin and a pau'l aisocarried bysaid plate in the path of the teeth oi' the ratchet wheel of the nextadjacent drum. l

7. Acaicnlating machine comprisingy a series ofvinde'x drums, ratchetwheels, one for each drum and tast thereto, a series of operatinglevers, one for euch drum, chain connections between each lever and theratchet wheelof the respective drum and positively engaging the teeth ofthe ratchet wheel when the drum is moved in one direction: pawisnormally engaging the ratchet wh'eeis to prevent reverse rotationthereof. connecting means between the drums cach comprising n iinger inthe path ot the pin ot a drum and a pawl in the path of the teeth ot"the next adjacent ratchet wheel, and means for moving the pawls out ofengagement with the ratchet wheels and for moving all the leverssimultaneously to the full extent of their movement and for thenpermitting them to return simultaneously to their initial position toreset all the index drums to the zero position. Y

In a calculating machine comprising index drums rotatable in bothdirections, locking mechanism for normally I holding the drum'sagainstvrotationin one direction, means for rotating all the drumssimultaneously in the forward direction, means for releasing the drumsfrom their normal locking mechanism actuated by the rst-named means,means for-causing a reverse simultdneous rotative movement ot the drums,and means forl arresting the reverse movement ot each drum when itreaches the zero position.

9. In a calculating machine, a series of rotatable index drums. ratchetwheels therefor, pivoted levers, one for each drum, flexible connectionsbetween the ie\crs and the ratchet wheels for rotating the drumsfpawlsnormally engaging said ratchet wheels' to direct their rotation i'n onedirection only, interconnectincr means between thedruinsf comprisingpins on the drum's, pivoted plates having finv gers in the pathsof saidpins and payvl's in the paths off position.

10. A calculating machine comprising a series of rotatable drums, aratchet wheel for each drum fast to the same :it one side thereof, a pinprojecting from the other side of the drum, a spring-retained pawl foreach ratchet Wheel, a spring-retained plate for cach drum havingaiin :erin the path of the pin thereof and a spring-retained panl in normalengagement with the ratchet wheel-ot' the next adjacent drum, a seriesotspring-retained segmental actuating levers havin;r curved facesprovided with lingerpleces. chain connections fast at une end to eachlever and at the other end to a spring-controlled arm and passingV overand in operative relation to the ratchet wheel of-'a corresponding indexdrum, a pivoted bar connected tu allA the pawls, nnd'xl pivoted armmovable into contact with all the levers to mpel them simultaneously inone direc tlonagainst the action of their` return springs and pro' videdwith cam faces engaging the pawl-'actuating bar.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my'owm'i

